Tile.



PATBNTED AUG. 2, 1904.

INVENTOR, aidaw 61 030W,

ATTORNEY,

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,526, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed November 1903- fl- 182,591. (No model.)

To all w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM E. RIVERS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Oldbridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of tiles which have undercut recesses in their backs to assist in retaining the tile in place when set in the usual plastic cement or substance; and the object of the invention is to provide the tile with a retaining recess or recesses (to receive the cement) which may be conveniently formed in molding the tile and which will permit the free escape of air from the recess as the cement enters the latter in the setting operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a cross-section of the tile at line a in Fig. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section at 11: in Fig. L. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the tile, the section being taken at line .1 in Fig. 4. Fig. L is a view of the back of the tile, partly broken away at g to show the undercut.

T designates the body of the tile, which may be of any size and contour. The drawings show an ordinary rectangular oblong tile provided with a longitudinal central groove a in its back and two longitudinal marginal rabbets 1) 6. These rabbets and the central groove or channel leave two longitudinally-extending elevated portions 0 c. In the elevated portions 0 o are formed undercut recesses (Z, which have certain peculiarities. Each recess is oblique to the margins of the tile. It is deepest at the end nearest the center line of the tile, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the slope of its bottom being gradual from end to end. Its bottom is also beveled or sloped laterally, as seen in Fig. 2, the said slope being greatest toward the deeper end of the recess, and it is undercut at the side at its deeper part, as indicated at c in the several figures.

Two sets or series of recesses (Z are shown in the tile of the drawings, those of each series being parallel; but opposite recesses in the two sets converge toward the longitudinal axis of the tile. The purpose of this peculiar form of the retaining-recess is in part to hold the tile in place by the cement taking under the overhang at the undercut e, in part to cause or permit the cement to drive out the air in the recess when the tile is laid and not incarcerate it, and in part to facilitate the formation of the retaining-recess in the molding of the tile.

The tile as illustrated has been described above; but it must be understood that the number and arrangement of the recesses (Z may be varied in position and length and will naturally vary in tiles of different sizes and shapes.

It will be noted by inspection of the drawings that the retaining-recess is elongated and that its sloping bottom begins at the surface along one side and at one end of the recess 7 and gradually descends toward the other side and end, the recess being thus made deepest at one angle or corner and having no depth at the opposite angle or corner. The recess shown is of uniform width throughout its length; but this is not essential.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. A tile having a retaining recess, or recesses, in its back, said recess havingits bottom sloped both laterally and longitudinally and being undercut at its deepest side, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A tile having in its back a plurality of retaining-recesses which are parallel with each other and oblique to the margins of the tile, each of said recesses having its bottom sloped both longitudinally and laterally and being undercut at its deeper side, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. An oblong tile having in its back two series of retaining-recesses, (Z, the recesses of each series being parallel with each other and those of the two series being oblique to the my name, this 21st day of November, 1903, in' sides of the tile and converging toward the the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

middle line of the tile, each recess d having its bottom sloped toward the center of the tile 'W RIVERS 5 and also laterally, and having an undercut at Witnesses:

its deeper side, substantially as set forth. GEO. W. DEVOE,

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed ALICE M. DEvoE. 

